Walk on Water (2004)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Eytan Fox

Writer:

Gal Uchovsky (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

4 March 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

He was trained to hate until he met the enemy

Plot:

Following the suicide of his wife, an Israeli intelligence agent is assigned to befriend the grandchildren of a Nazi war criminal.

Plot Keywords:

Tourist | Mossad | Suicide | Nazi | Israel

Awards:

3 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Lior Ashkenazi	...	Eyal
Knut Berger	...	Axel Himmelman
Caroline Peters	...	Pia Himmelman
Gideon Shemer	...	Menachem
Carola Regnier	...	Axel's Mother
Hanns Zischler	...	Axel's Father
Ernest Lenart	...	Alfred Himmelman
Eyal Rozales	...	Jello
Yousef 'Joe' Sweid	...	Rafik
Imad Jabarin	...	Rafik's uncle
Sivan Sasson	...	Weapons Instructor
Natali Shilman	...	Iris (as Nataly Szylman)
Hugo Yarden	...	Kibbuz Director
Joshua Simon	...	Kibbuz Singer
Tom Rahav	...	Kibbuz Singer
Imke Barnstedt	...	Helga
Yuval Semo	...	Guy with a Cell Phone
Adi Eisenman	...	Mossad Agent
Mahir Tuocu	...	Abu Ibraim
Nesrin Cevadzade	...	Abu Ibraim's Wife
Ahmed Saydam	...	Ibraim
Shay Rokach	...	Tel Aviv Bartender
Sascha Remkuf	...	Berlin Bartender
Hubertus Regout	...	Drag Queen #1
Biggy van Blond	...	Drag Queen #2 (as Biggi van Blond)
Paisley Dalton	...	Drag Queen #3
Itimar Ziv	...	Eyal and Pia's Baby

Directed by
Eytan Fox

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Knut Berger		collaboration (uncredited)
Caroline Peters		collaboration (uncredited)
Andreas Struck		collaboration: uncredited
Gal Uchovsky		writer

Produced by
Leon Edery	....	executive producer
Moshe Edery	....	executive producer
Amir Feingold	....	line producer: Israel
Sigi Fischer	....	line producer: Germany
Eytan Fox	....	executive producer
Amir Harel	....	producer
Tatjana Jakovleski	....	associate producer: Germany
Micki Rabinovich	....	executive producer (as Micky Rabinovitz)
Gal Uchovsky	....	producer
Dudi Zilber	....	executive producer (as David Silber)

Original Music by
Ivri Lider

Cinematography by
Tobias Hochstein		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Yosef Grunfeld

Casting by
Yael Aviv
Chun Mei Tan

Art Direction by
Avi Fahima
Christoph Merg

Costume Design by
Rona Doron
Peter Pohl

Makeup Department
Galia Azulai	....	makeup department head: Israel (as Galia Azoulay)
Neomi Eyni	....	hair stylist: Israel
Pamela Grujic	....	hair stylist: Germany
Pamela Grujic	....	makeup artist: Germany
Shani Hirsch	....	makeup artist: additional photography, Israel
Limor Markazi	....	makeup artist: Israel
Pascale Sophia Profe-Bracht	....	makeup assistant: Germany (as Pascale Sophia Bofe-Bracht)
Sonia Salazar-Zivoder	....	makeup assistant: Germany
Byrgen Yildirim	....	makeup artist: Turkey

Production Management
Sharona Berger	....	post-production supervisor
Tatjana Jakovleski	....	production manager: Germany
Huseyin Karabey	....	production manager: Turkey (as Hüseyin Karabey)
Hanan 'Dino' Yunger	....	production manager: Israel

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sven Fehrensen	....	second assistant director: Germany
Lee-At Heller	....	second assistant director: Israel
Tamar Ichilov	....	first assistant director: Israel
Michael G. Johnson	....	first assistant director: Germany (as Michael Johnson)
Irit Kosover	....	additional assistant director: Israel

Art Department
Yaron Aglof	....	art assistant: Israel
Daniele Drobny	....	set dresser: Germany (as Daniel Drobny)
Pini Ezra	....	painter: Israel
Lahav Halevi	....	graphic designer: Big Eyes Design
Oren Khalifa	....	props: Israel (as Oren Kalifa)
Claudia Kiefer	....	stand-by props: Germany
Thomas Krause	....	set dresser: Germany
Eliezer Marko	....	art assistant: Israel
Dafi Neuman	....	set decorator: Israel (as Dafna Noyman-Sargoty)
Dafi Neuman	....	set dresser: additional photography, Israel (as Dafi Noiyman-Sorgati)
Sven Posniak	....	set dresser: Germany
Itay Shitnit	....	art assistant: Israel

Sound Department
Fesyh Alpagu	....	sound mixer: Turkey
Stefan Becker	....	sound studio manager: ElektroFilm, Berlin
Israel David	....	sound re-recording mixer
Rotem Dror	....	assistant sound editor
Martin Ehlers-Falkenberg	....	boom operator: Germany (as Martin Ehlers)
Itai Elohev	....	sound mixer: Israel (as Itay Elohav)
Ilana Grushka	....	dialogue editor (as Elana Grushka)
Ronen Nagel	....	chief sound editor
Andreas Nysietka	....	sound mixer: Germany (as Andreas Muecke-Niesytka)
Moshe Oshry	....	assistant sound editor
Alon Shapira	....	boom operator: Israel
Marcus Sujata	....	sound recording engineer: ElectroFilm, Berlin
Gil Toren	....	dubbing mixer
Gil Toren	....	sound designer
Nick Watson	....	sound consultant: Dolby
Amos Zipori	....	sound mixer: additional photography, Israel
Lee Zohar	....	sound technician

Visual Effects by
Matthias Albrecht	....	digital compositor: optical titles
Thomas Faber	....	digital compositor: optical titles

Stunts
Mattias Bark	....	stunt performer: Germany (as Matthias Bark)
Sascha Girndt	....	stunt performer: Germany
Tomas Jester	....	stunt performer: Germany (as Tom Jester)
Moritz Prochnow	....	stunt performer: Germany
Steve Thiede	....	stunt performer: Germany
Rainer Werner	....	stunt coordinator: Germany

Camera and Electrical Department
Oren Arad	....	first assistant camera: Israel
Güngör Aydin	....	gaffer: Turkey
Adi Borkin	....	best boy: Israel
Ram Cizling	....	lighting assistant: Israel
Asher Cohen	....	loader: Israel
Paul Freuer	....	key grip: Germany
Philipp Henning	....	second camera assistant: Germany
Alexander Jung	....	best boy: Germany
Golan Kabayet	....	key grip: Israel
Dudi Kaufman	....	camera car: Israel
Kenan Koila	....	key grip: Turkey (as Kenan Kolla)
Oliver Kühne	....	electrician: Germany
Yuval Landsberg	....	lighting assistant: Israel
Rami Levy	....	gaffer: additional photography, Israel (as Rami Levi)
Amir Lybman	....	lighting assistant: Israel
Ohad Milstein	....	loader: additional photography, Israel
David Namir	....	additional camera assistant: Israel (as Dudi Namir)
Lior Pery	....	gaffer: Israel (as Lior Perri)
Stephan Rabold	....	still photographer: Germany
Florian Renz	....	electrician: Germany
Helen Sabatzki	....	second camera assistant: Germany
Bjoern Susen	....	gaffer: Germany (as Björn-Yves Susen)
Cenk Tatarer	....	second camera assistant: Turkey
Sascha Vogel	....	additional electrician: Germany
Ronen Yahalomi	....	key grip: additional photography, Israel
Ronen Yahalomi	....	second grip: Israel
Yossi Zwecker	....	still photographer: Israel

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jule Brauer	....	wardrobe assistant: Germany
Hadas Cnaani	....	wardrobe supervisor: Israel
Oren Dar	....	additional costume designer: Israel
Saskia Gierke	....	wardrobe assistant: Germany

Editorial Department
Yael Biron	....	post-production assistant
Manuela Buhtz	....	negative cutter
Naomi El'ani	....	digitizer (as Naomi Elani)
Yaniv Raiz	....	assistant editor: Israel
Gabi Shihor	....	digitizer
Sentje Sperling	....	color grader
Heike Thörner	....	negative cutter (as Heike Thoerner)
Katja Zaworski	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Galina Glushkin	....	concert master
Udi Harpaz	....	conductor
Udi Harpaz	....	orchestrator
Yoav Shdema	....	score recording engineer
The Tel Aviv String Orchestra	....	musician: orchestra

Transportation Department
Ilan Appel	....	driver: Israel (as Ilan Apel)
Ömer Mümyn Bak	....	driver: Turkey
Itzik Ben-Aroya	....	tow company: Israel (as Itzik Ben Aroya)
Aly Demyr	....	driver: Turkey
Claudia Drenda	....	driver: Germany
Moishe Gissis	....	driver: Israel (as Moshe Gissis)
Ýsmayl Karabey	....	driver: Turkey
Dudi Kaufman	....	driver: camera car, Israel
Eyal Koren	....	driver: additional photography, Israel
Guy Ne'eman	....	tow company: Israel
Arndt Stepper	....	driver: props, Germany
Eyal Zabari	....	driver: Israel

Other crew
Shimshon 'Oni' Alber	....	production assistant: Israel
Sharona Berger	....	assistant: Mr. Fox, Israel
Sharona Berger	....	script supervisor: Israel
Guy Cohen	....	location manager: Israel
Suzy DeLowe	....	translator
Pimes Doerfler	....	accountant: Germany (as Pimes Dörfler)
Lia Eshkol	....	water girl: Israel
Omri Givon	....	location scout: Israel
Toni Greenman	....	legal services
Toni Gruber	....	set runner: Germany (as Tony Gruber)
Bernd Hein	....	accountant: Germany
Nick Hertwig	....	location scout: Germany
Sefi Hirsh	....	location coordinator: Israel, Ma'agan Michael
Uzi Karin	....	location coordinator: Israel, Ben Gurion Airport
Eran Kosover	....	airport security officer: Israel
Guy Kupper	....	weapon instructor: Israel
Assaf Lavi	....	production assistant: Israel
Adi Levi	....	pre-production coordinator: Israel
Ute Lingner	....	lab services
Ido Narkis	....	production assistant: Israel
Eli Nekave	....	personal trainer: Israel
Banu Ozturk	....	production assistant: Turkey (as Banu Öztürk)
Christa Paulini	....	lab services
Esther Reinecke	....	production coordinator: Germany
Christoph Renger	....	location manager: Germany
Moshe Rotstein	....	production accountant
Gil Rozenfeld	....	production coordinator: Israel
Hillel Rozenman	....	location coordinator: Israel, Jerusalem
Wiebke Scherenberger	....	set runner: Germany
Gabriela Schultze	....	lab services
Daniel Schwarz	....	location manager: Germany
Niv Shaynfeld	....	choreographer: Israel
Periham Tap	....	production assistant: Turkey
Itay Valdman	....	production assistant: Israel
Zohar Vodrero	....	location coordinator: Israel, Golan Heights (as Zohar Wodrero)
Richard Lormand	....	publicist: international (uncredited)

Thanks
Sarah Kaminker	....	in memory of
Ohad Knoller	....	thanks
Wieland Speck	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Fond Européen Média (co-production)
• Hot (co-production)
• Israeli Film Fund (co-production)
• Lama Productions
• United King Films

Distributors

• Teodora Film (2004) (Italy) (theatrical)
• ID Distribution (2005) (France) (theatrical)
• Frenetic Films (2005) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Samuel Goldwyn Films (2005) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Roadside Attractions (2005) (USA) (theatrical)
• Arsenal (2005) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Redbus Film Distribution (2005) (UK) (theatrical)
• Paradiso Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Playtime S.A. (2005) (Greece) (theatrical)
• CDI Films (2006) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• ARTE (2008) (Germany) (TV)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2006) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Switzerland) (DVD)

Other Companies

• ARRI Rental  camera equipment: Israel
• Big Eyes Design  graphic design
• Coming Home  housing agency: Germany
• D.B. Post Production  sound studio
• D.B. Studios  score recording facility
• Deutsche Telekom  communications: Germany
• EIT Studio  sound mixing facility
• Eberhard, Raith & Partner  insurance: Germany
• Elektrofilm  sound studio: Berlin (as ElektroFilm)
• Europcar  car rental: Germany
• GO! Overnight  courier service: Germany
• Geyer-Werke  lab services
• JCS Post Production  editing studios
• KAYFU Catering  catering: Germany
• Kodak - Delta Film  film stock: Israel
• Kodak  film stock: Berlin
• Ledl-Film-Service  courier service: Germany
• MCC  camera vehicles: Germany
• Millennium  communications: Israel
• Movie Cat  catering: Germany
• Movie Mobile  lighting and grip equipment: Israel
• Noa Bar-Yosef Insurance  counseling and insurance
• On Air  camera equipment: Israel
• Problock Service  set vehicles: Germany
• Rham Tours Avihad  transportation: Israel
• Theaterkunst  costume rental: Germany
• Titanic Süsdtern  travel agency: Germany
• Transport Logistik  courier service: Germany
• Wohnmobile W. Berger  set vehicles: Germany
• Wolfganf Franke  set vehicles: Germany

Also Known As:

LaLehet Al HaMayim (Israel: Hebrew title) (working title)
To Walk on Water (Israel: English title) (working title)
Walking on Water (Israel: English title) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some language including sexual references, and for brief nudity.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

Israel | Sweden

Language:

English | German | Hebrew | Italian | Turkish | Arabic

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:16 (canton of Zurich) | Australia:M | Argentina:16 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | USA:Unrated | USA:R | UK:15 | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company:

Fond Européen Média

Trivia:

Caroline Peters, who plays Pia, revealed in an interview on Israeli television that her actual grandfather was a Nazi, just like her character's grandfather in the film

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Eyal arrives Berlin, we see a Lufthansa airplane landing at the airport. However, Lufthansa never flew from Tel Aviv to Berlin, only to Frankfurt. It is also not reasonable that a Mossad agent will not fly with El-Al Israel airlines, which has a direct flight from Tel Aviv to Berlin.

Quotes:

Axel Himmelman: [tries to walk on the sea and falls in]
Eyal: [sarcastically] Bravo. You did it.
Axel Himmelman: You don't understand. You can't just come to the Sea of Galilee and start walking on water. If you could, everybody would be doing it. You need to prepare yourself.
Eyal: And how would you do that? Please enlighten me.
Axel Himmelman: Well, you need to completely purify yourself. Your heart needs to be like it's clean from the inside: no negativity, no bad thoughts.
Eyal: And then?
Axel Himmelman: And then you can walk on water. I'm sure of it.

Movie Connections:

Featured in 2006 Glitter Awards (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

Tunnel of love

worth a look

Conflict is the theme of this movie: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the acceptance of gay men by heterosexual men and young Germans with their country's history. The storyline, set in modern-day Turkey, Israel and Germany, is intriguing though I found the final scene unnecessary until the producer explained that it was added to give Israeli audiences a sense of hope for the future.

The representation of German culture was quite accurate: young Germans cannot identify with their grandparents' experiences during the second world war.

What started out as a very promising film became a bit too stereotyped in the end: while there has be a rise in neo-Naziism in Germany, attacks in the subway are rare (especially in cosmopolitan cities like Berlin); having a German grandfather who lived in exile in Argentina is also fairly atypical - more realistic would have been a grandfather who could not understand/identify with the youth or who completely agreed with the youth and struggled with his own past.

The use of language throughout the film is very realistic and the English text is direct and simplistic. The characters can be forgiven for their language abilities since English is their second language. However, the simplicity and moralistic tone are a bit patronizing for an English-speaking audience.

Walk on Water is an entertaining movie that will encourage you to consider conflicts from a variety of viewpoints.